Solar-Powered Plane Airborne on Historic Round-the-World Trip

Swiss-made aircraft attempts to fly around the world without a drop of fossil fuel.

Swiss-made aircraft attempts to fly around the world without a drop of fossil fuel. A historic first attempt to fly around the world in a solar-powered aircraft got underway from Abu Dhabi on Monday. The first stop for the Solar Impulse 2 plane will be Muscat in Oman on its 21,700-mile journey around the globe.

Solar Impulse founder André Borschberg was at the controls of the single-seat aircraft when it lumbered into the air at the Al Bateen Executive Airport. Mr. Borschberg will trade off piloting with Solar Impulse co-founder Bertrand Piccard during layovers on a 22,000-mile journey.